Bellaire Board of Adjustment allows sign to remain near property line but denies taller height for Houston Dentist

The Bellaire Board of Adjustment on April 17 granted a variance to let the monument sign for Houston Dentist remain within 2 feet of the property line at 4914 Bissonnet Street, but denied the applicant's request to exceed the city's 8-foot maximum sign height by 1 foot. The board required that the replacement sign be constructed within six months of the approval.

The decision implements a split ruling after testimony from the applicant, staff and nearby residents. Greg Hollenberg, president of Meridian Signs LLC and the applicant's representative, told the board the existing monument sign was destroyed in a May 2024 storm and that the applicant sought to replace it "in the exact same location" with a sign 9 feet tall and roughly 9 inches from the property line. City staff said the original sign had been permitted in 2011 but that the current city ordinance limits monument sign height to 8 feet and setback to the greater of 2 feet from the property line or 6 feet from the edge of the street.

The nut graf: the board found that replacing the sign in its prior location raised setback issues that could be…